Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Climate Change: Public Consultation

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of a establishing a citizens assembly on tackling climate change.

Chris Skidmore: Climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face, and we firmly welcome the national conversation on climate change now underway.We engage with citizens issues through a variety of channels, including as part of the first ever Green GB Week, which was held in October 2018 to showcase the benefits, opportunities and challenges of tackling climate change and driving clean growth. We look forward to the second Green Great Britain Week on 4 November 2019 as an opportunity to engage businesses, scientists, entrepreneurs and the public, across the country.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Yemen: Military Intervention

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of damage to facilities funded by British NGOs of the bombing campaign by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to respond to reports from Oxfam of airstrikes against their facilities in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We take all reports of facilities damaged by airstrikes in Yemen very seriously and regularly meet with NGOs to discuss their concerns. We use every opportunity to raise the importance of complying with international humanitarian law with the Saudi Arabian government and other members of the Coalition, including requesting investigations into alleged incidents of concern. Most recently we raised concerns about the airstrikes in Sana’a on 16 May and the Coalition confirmed they are taking steps to investigate the incident.

Women's Rights

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote women's rights issues at the forthcoming G7 summit in Biarritz.

Mark Field: ​The French Government has chosen to focus on inequalities throughout their G7 Presidency this year. We are working across the G7 workstreams to ensure continued progress on gender equality, particularly in the Sahel and across Sub-Saharan Africa. We will push for ambitious Summit outcomes that tackle violence against women and girls, promote girls' education and women's economic empowerment, and support movements to end child marriage and FGM. Our focus is on accelerating the pace of change to ensure that all women and girls are empowered and play an active part in all aspects of society.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has investigated reports of attacks on (a) an Oxfam-supported water supply system and (b) Oxfam-supported cholera treatment centres in Yemen by Saudi-led coalition air strikes in (i) April and (ii) June 2018; and whether the UK Government has passed reports of those incidents on to the Joint Incidents Assessment Team for investigation.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We take all reports of alleged incidents very seriously and monitor them using all available information. On the 16 January the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) publicly released a report on the incident in June 2018 relating to the Cholera Treatment Centre incident. We have requested JIAT examine the case further to address concerns about the report raised by Medecins Sans Frontieres. With respect to the incident in April 2018 on the Water Supply System we are seeking further details and will follow up with the Saudi Arabian government.

China and India: Diplomatic Service

Sir Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many diplomatic staff employed by his Department on matters relating to (a) India and (b) China are stationed in (i) London, (ii) India and (iii) China.

Mark Field: In London as at 30 April 2019, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has 20-39 FCO diplomatic staff that work within South Asia and Afghanistan Directorate (SAAD) which includes India, and 40-59 diplomatic staff that work within Asia Pacific Directorate (APD), including China. This does not include home civil servants. We are unable to offer numbers working on inividual countries within these Directorates. In addition, there are officers in other areas of the FCO whose work relates to China or India but we do not hold this level of detail on our central Human resources management systems.The Her Majesty's Government networks in India and mainland China are two of the largest in the world. There are nearly 700 UK government staff nationwide in China and around 1,000 UK government staff in India, in both cases representing a number of British government departments.

Azerbaijan: Foreign Relations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to improve the diplomatic relationship between the UK and Azerbaijan.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The United Kingdom and the Republic of Azerbaijan have enjoyed a strong diplomatic relationship for over a quarter of century. Through regular political and economic dialogue we work together to increase cooperation in all areas of mutual interest. Our annual strategic dialogue, which I last co-chaired in October 2018, provides opportunity for discussion of bilateral relations, multilateral issues and human rights.Our regular UK-Azerbaijan Joint Intergovernmental Commission, which is co-chaired by the Minister of State for International Trade, was last held on 22 May. This is a forum for in-depth discussion of the UK and Azerbaijan's energy and trade relationship, and sets the agenda for future cooperation in new economic sectors.We also strengthen bilateral relations through regular high-level visits, most significantly when the Prime Minister welcomed President Aliyev to the UK in April 2018. We have forged close partnerships in the educational, cultural and creative sectors. Every year we welcome new Chevening scholars from Azerbaijan to the UK, and thousands of Azerbaijani students have studied at UK universities.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: BioMarin

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the progress of talks on procuring medicines between the NHS and Bio Marin.

Seema Kennedy: We have made no such assessment. Discussions about commercial agreements for medicines are rightly held between NHS England as an independent body and the manufacturer concerned. The Department plays no role in such discussions.

Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the review of the methods for the NICE Technology Appraisal Programme referred to in the 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access will include support for earlier patient access to innovative medicines.

Seema Kennedy: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is in the process of scoping the review of the methods for technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies evaluations. Scoping will involve patient organisations and other relevant stakeholders, including industry. The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access sets out the Department’s expectation that that any future changes to NICE methods and processes would support faster adoption of the most clinically and cost effective medicines. Additional detail and more information will be made available on the NICE website in due course.The 2019 Voluntary Scheme also states that NICE will adopt the principle of appraisal timelines for non-oncology treatments matching the faster timescales for oncology treatments, subject to the evidence base for the product being sufficiently developed to enable a NICE appraisal with the same level of rigour and certainty as would be expected currently.

Health and Care Professions Council: Fees and Charges

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representations he has received from (a) allied health professionals and (b) their representative bodies on the proposed increase in the registration fee for the Health and Care Professions Council.

Stephen Hammond: A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database has identified 79 items of correspondence received since 24 September 2018 on the proposed increase in registration fees for the Health and Care Professions Council’s registrants. None of these were from organisations known to represent allied health professionals.The Department does not routinely record the occupation of correspondents.

Health and Care Professions Council: Fees and Charges

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential financial effect on allied health professionals of the proposed increase in the registration fee for the Health and Care Professions Council.

Stephen Hammond: The Government has made no assessment of the potential financial effect on allied health professionals on the proposed increase in registration fees for the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The HCPC is independent of Government and funded by registrants’ fees on a cost recovery basis.

General Practitioners: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister of 27 March 2019, Official Report column 321, when funding for the General Practice work stream of the NHS Getting it Right First Time programme will be in place; and when an announcement will be made on the (a) commencement date and (b) timeframe for that work stream.

Stephen Hammond: The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme aims to drive improvements in medical and surgical specialties through clinical leadership and the use of data to identify and reduce unwarranted variation in practice. By tackling variations in the way services are delivered across the National Health Service, and by sharing best practice between trusts, GIRFT identifies changes that will help improve care and patient outcomes, as well as delivering efficiencies such as the reduction of unnecessary procedures and cost savings.The GIRFT programme has recently concluded a pilot looking at applying the GIRFT methodology in primary care. The Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement are reviewing the findings of the pilot and will agree the appropriate next steps in the context of the new GP contract and Primary Care Networks currently being established which have an associated improvement support programme.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust: Migrant Workers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many EU nationals have (a) joined and (b) left their jobs at Barking Havering Redbridge NHS Foundation Trust in the last five years.

Stephen Hammond: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups, but not staff working in in general practitioner surgeries, local authorities or other providers.The following table shows the number of EU27 joiners to, and leavers from, Barking Havering Redbridge NHS Foundation Trust as at September each year since 2014 and to January 2019 (the latest data), headcount.Time periodJoinersLeaversSeptember 2014 to September 201513290September 2015 to September 2016228119September 2016 to September 2017146153September 2017 to September 2018110132September 2018 to January 20193643Source:NHS HCHS monthly workforce statistics, NHS Digital.

Diabetes: Mental Health Services

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including in the mandatory part of every diabetes appointment a question on the mental wellbeing of a patient.

Seema Kennedy: NHS England has informed us that is has not assessed the case for mandatory inclusion of this question in every diabetes appointment. The NHS Long Term Plan committed to increasing the provision of mental health support for all patients who require it and NHS England is currently taking forward a number of initiatives to deliver this for patients including for those living with diabetes.

5G: Health Hazards

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what studies have been carried out to evaluate the effect of 5G on (a) pregnant women, (b) babies and (c) young children.

Seema Kennedy: A considerable amount of research has been carried out on exposure to radio waves over several decades, and evidence reviews have been prepared by scientific expert groups in the United Kingdom and around the world. Among the health topics investigated is whether adverse effects can occur in relation to reproduction and development.Public Health England (PHE) has published a webpage about exposure to the radio waves from mobile phone base stations, including those for 5G networks, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-health/mobile-phone-base-stations-radio-waves-and-healthBased on the accumulated evidence and reviews, PHE advises that the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) should be adopted and there is no convincing evidence that radio wave exposures below the ICNIRP guideline levels cause adverse health effects. This includes effects in relation to reproduction and development.PHE has committed to keeping the emerging evidence under review and to preparing another comprehensive review when sufficient new evidence has accumulated.

Doctors: Equal Pay

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to evaluate the potential effect on the gender pay gap in medicine of the Government’s decision not to include (a) consultants and (b) specialist and associate speciality doctors in the NHS shared parental leave entitlement implemented in April 2019.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review his decision not to include (a) consultants and (b) speciality and associate specialist doctors in the eligibility criteria for NHS shared parental leave entitlement implemented in April 2019.

Stephen Hammond: The shared parental leave arrangements introduced in April 2019 were part of the Agenda for Change pay and contract reform agreement and enacted via changes to the National Health Service Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook.The provisions were extended to doctors and dentists in training, by virtue of the fact that their contractual arrangements mirror certain non-pay schedules from the NHS Handbook.The current terms and conditions for consultants and specialty and associate specialist (SAS) doctors do not share these same schedules and therefore the changes do not automatically apply to these staff.We firmly believe that all members of NHS staff should be treated equally. Established routes for contractual changes are via NHS Employers. Medical trades unions have been invited by NHS Employers to adopt the same non-pay schedules from the NHS Handbook for consultant and SAS doctors as have already been adopted by doctors and dentists in training, including those relating to shared parental leave.An evaluation on the potential effect on the gender pay gap in medicine of not including consultants and specialty and associate specialist doctors in the NHS shared parental leave entitlement has not been planned.The Department has commissioned an independent review into the gender pay gap in medicine, chaired by Professor Dame Jane Dacre. The review, which commenced in April 2018, is currently examining qualitative and quantitative evidence which will help identify the impact of cultural, practical and psychological issues that contribute to the gender pay gap in medicine.The evidence collected and examined will go on to produce a series of implementable recommendations for publication in September 2019.

Department for Education

National College Creative Industries

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Departments policy is on providing prospective partners different EOI submission dates for the opportunity to partner the National College Creative Industries.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the studio space occupied by the National College of Creative Industries (a) is hired out to commercial clients and (b) comprises an income-generating business.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will commission a review of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of the National College of Creative Industries.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students have undertaken work-based learning opportunities on commercial projects at The Backstage Centre in each of the last 12 months.

Anne Milton: The National College of Creative Industries (NCCI) has undertaken a structure and prospects appraisal to identify potential partners. Submission dates were set so that every prospective partner had the same opportunity: 5 working days to submit their expression of interest to the NCCI.NCCI has 6 studio spaces which are shared between the learners and commercial clients on a timetable which enables training and work experience for the learners and a commercial space for the local community and commercial clients. The hire of studio spaces is part of the income that the college receives, along with the funding for students and the levy payments from employers for apprentices.A process evaluation of the National College programme, including NCCI, is underway and is due to be published by the end of the year.Data supplied by the college’s own records shows that all learners (167 learners over the last 12 months, although the breakdown data by month is not available) have undertaken work-based learning opportunities on commercial projects as an essential component of their qualifications. To clarify, the college is based in the Backstage Centre, which is a commercial production, rehearsal and training venue owned by the college.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Death

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department imposes penalties on private prison operators following deaths in prison.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what oversight process is in place for private prison operators following deaths in prison.

Robert Buckland: HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) does not impose penalties for deaths in custody. We do, however, monitor and assure the use of the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) case management procedures for prisoners identified as being at risk of self-harm or suicide. All prisons are required to comply with chapter 12 of PSI 64/2011, which sets out the required action following a death in custody. All such deaths are independently investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) and subject to an inquest. All prisons, including those that are privately managed, are required to respond to PPO recommendations and any Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) reports issued by Coroners. Privately managed prison performance is closely monitored by robust contract management processes. Each privately managed prison has an on-site controller, employed by HMPPS. Controllers, together with regional contract managers review performance against indicators set out in the contract. Any improvement action identified may include a requirement for urgent improvement and/or financial deductions. The controller will monitor the provider’s actions when there is a death in custody and the provider’s compliance with any actions set out in responses to PPO reports and/or PFD reports from Coroners. In the event there were serious failings highlighted at the prison, the Authority would look to manage the Contractor’s poor performance through utilising the appropriate contractual levers.

Prisons: Private Sector

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the expiry date is of the contract for each private sector prison.

Robert Buckland: The expiry date for each private prison is listed in the table below.PrisonEnd DateHMP Thameside31/12/2036HMP Bronzefield16/06/2029HMP Altcourse31/05/2023HMP Ashfield31/10/2024HMP Forest Bank19/01/2025HMP Peterborough13/02/2028HMP Dovegate08/07/2026HMP Parc14/12/2022HMP Rye Hill20/01/2026HMP Lowdham Grange15/02/2023HMP Birmingham1/07/2019HMP Oakwood23/04/2027HMP/YOI Doncaster30/09/2026HMP Northumberland.01/12/2028

Prison Service: Corruption

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department's budget has adequate resources to fund the prison anti-corruption taskforce without decreasing spending on other departmental responsibilities.

Robert Buckland: The Counter Corruption Unit was launched in April this year. It monitors prison and probation services across England and Wales, with 29 specialist staff split into one national and five regional teams. The new unit will help protect prison and probation staff raising awareness amongst staff of the threat from corruption, encouraging staff to report any suspicions of wrongdoing and working closely with the police to pursue cases of suspected corruption. Funding for the unit has been met in full within existing budgets and without a decrease in spend on other areas of prison and probation services.

Prisoners: Mental Illness

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department centrally collects figures on how many prisoners are prescribed medication for mental health issues.

Robert Buckland: The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on how many prisoners are prescribed medication for mental health issues. NHS England has statutory and financial responsibility for providing health care in English prisons, including prescribing medication.

Prisons: Radicalism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle the spread of far-right extremism in prisons.

Robert Buckland: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) works closely with a range of partners to tackle extremism of all ideologies in prisons, including ideologies held by far-right offenders. An HMPPS and Home Office Joint Extremism Unit (JEXU) was established in April 2017 to be the strategic centre for all counter terrorism work in prison and probation and have oversight of delivery across the end-to-end offender management process. The number of far-right offenders in prison and being managed by probation has grown in recent years. Our dedicated, specialist teams manage the risks presented by all terrorists and extremists, including Right Wing Terrorists and far-right offenders, in prison and the community. We are working across Government to review and develop our capability to manage this cohort and safeguard the wider offender population. Prisoners identified as being of extremist concern, or who have shown signs of being vulnerable to extremism, are managed actively as part of a comprehensive case management process. Over 22,000 prison staff have received specialist extremism awareness training, to enable them to identify, report and challenge extremist views. HMPPS uses a wide range of interventions as part of its management of extremist offenders in prison. These range from assessment tools, such as the Extremism Risk Guidance 22+ and Extremism Risk Screening, to rehabilitative measures such as the Healthy Identity Intervention, Developing Dialogues, and the Desistance and Disengagement Programme. Interventions play an important role in helping to encourage and facilitate desistance and disengagement from extremism, support reintegration into society, and reduce the risk of further offending. All of these interventions are available to far-right offenders, if required.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many officials in his Department have been seconded away from their normal duties to work on the UK's withdrawal from the EU; and what effect that secondment of staff has had on the effectiveness of his Department.

Rishi Sunak: Departments continually review workforce plans, reprioritise and assess changing needs, which includes identification and cessation of non-priority work where appropriate. We have accelerated our plans, and at the same time, the Civil Service as a whole is working to ensure that EU Exit Implementation is carried out to high quality without impacting public service delivery across the whole of government.A total of 122 MHCLG staff were redeployed from other work on to EU Exit work between December 2018 and April 2019, the majority of whom were redeployed for a short period between 8 and 11 April in anticipation of a possible exit on 12 April.

Religious Freedom

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Islamic community leaders on freedom of religion and belief; and what steps he is taking to protect individuals accused of apostasy.

Rishi Sunak: MHCLG regularly discusses matters concerning Freedom of Religion and Belief with all our faith community partnersThe right to change religion, as set out in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, is absolute and is not subject to any limitations.The UK has some of the strongest hate crime legislation in the world, which includes protecting people who have been targeted as a result of leaving a faith.

Ministry of Defence

Defence Medical Services: Termination of Employment

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Defence Medical Service doctors have (a) taken early retirement and (b) left the armed forces as a result of pension taxation changes in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Voluntary Outflow (VO) is defined as all exits from trained UK Regular Forces which are voluntarily generated by the individual before the end of their agreed engagement or commission period. Between 1 April 2017 and 31 December 2018, the latest period for which figures are available, 60 Defence Medical Services (DMS) Medical Officers and 20 DMS Dental Officers were VO exits. These figures have been rounded to the nearest five. Information about VO exits as a result of pension taxation changes is not held in the format requested.

University Officer Training Corps

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps she is taking to promote the university officer training corps at UK universities.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Royal Navy The Royal Navy continues to engage with universities in a myriad of ways as part of wider recruiting efforts but also to increase awareness amongst the graduate population as to the presence and purpose of the Navy. A University Royal Naval Unit (URNU) opened in Devon in 2017, making 15 URNUs in total, and the Navy continues to review opportunities to expand this footprint further. The Captain of Navy Recruiting (CNR) delivers three-day awareness packages at a variety of universities which last year resulted in 600 expressions of interest. CNR also runs the Undergraduate Leadership Programme, which this year will offer six-week long placements to 15 successful candidates from 900 initial applications. Lastly, changes to the way the Services recruit their engineers will mean that, under the new STEM Graduate Inflow Scheme, those individuals who have been selected to be Engineer Officers in the Royal Navy, and are sponsored through university as a result, will be able to attend any university, thus broadening even further the exposure of the wider university population to the Royal Navy. Army The Army has a total of 15 University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC) and two Officer Training Regiments (OTRs), which welcome enquiries from any individual enrolled in a higher education course at any university or college across the UK. Each training corps regularly engages with the higher education sector through Military Education Committees, the formal mechanism for engagement with affiliated universities. Additionally, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst engages nationally on their behalf with the Council of Military Education Committees.UOTCs are actively promoted by the Army online, through the use of the official Army website and via approved social media accounts run by each individual unit. More direct engagement activities are conducted by the UOTCs themselves, along with the Army's specialist engagement teams, within various higher education establishments, such as appearances at freshers' fairs, open evenings and through the delivery of leadership events. UOTCs are also promoted during school and cadet unit visits, to ensure that young people are aware of the opportunities available to them, should they go onto higher education. Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) currently has 15 University Air Squadrons (UAS) comprising a membership of around 900 undergraduates, from 118 affiliated universities, throughout the UK. The UAS regularly liaise with Military Education Committees; they will also attend university freshers' fairs and use the internet to encourage university student participation. The RAF welcomes enquiries from students and actively encourages students, throughout their university journey, to join the organisation.

Defence: Procurement

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment she makes of the potential merits of retaining sovereign capabilities when undertaking procurement contracts with SME suppliers; and where retaining sovereign capabilities ranks on the MOD Procurement scorecard.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a responsibility to procure the right capability for our Armed Forces and to ensure value for money for the taxpayer in the goods and services that we buy, regardless of the company's size. We are clear that international competition is at the heart of our approach. This allows our Armed Forces to secure the best equipment from an open, global marketplace to meet evolving threats. We also recognise, however, that defence procurement needs to protect UK freedom of action and operational advantage. These strategic considerations shape our procurement strategies. Our refreshed Industrial Policy sets out the basis on which we will develop specific sector approaches to protect national security. There is no single MOD procurement scorecard. Once we have launched a commercial competition, the MOD considers a wide range of factors when awarding our contracts to obtain the best value for money outcome for defence and the taxpayer.

Defence Equipment and Support: Small Businesses

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the policy priorities are for Defence Equipment and Support with respect to procuring with domestic SME's in emergent markets.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence (MOD), including Defence Equipment and Support, has a responsibility to get the right capability for our Armed Forces and to ensure value for money for the taxpayer in the goods and services that we buy.The MOD is committed to making it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to do business with defence. In March 2019, we published our SME Action Plan which explains how we will increase our spend with SMEs, and addresses behavioural, policy and process change.I also chair SME Forums around the UK to understand the issues facing SMEs, the most recent of which was held on 9 May 2019 in Broughton.

Body Armour: Procurement

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress she has made with the procurement process for new body armour; and which companies have been shortlisted.

Stuart Andrew: A project is under way to procure and support a range of ballistic and training plates to fit the VIRTUS body armour and load carriage system. It is currently in the assessment phase with tender returns due over the next three months. I am withholding the company names as their disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Products: Imports

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196260 on Animal Products: Imports, what guidelines are used to establish whether there is detrimental impact on the sustainability of endangered species before the UK Government issues a permit for trophy hunting imports.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government takes the conservation of endangered species seriously. Imports of hunting trophies into the UK are subject to strict controls under the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, which apply in the UK. All applications for permits to import hunting trophies into the UK are assessed to make sure that the import would not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species or on the extent of the territory occupied by the relevant population of the species. In addition, the applicant must provide documentary evidence, in the form of an export permit that demonstrates that the specimens have been obtained in accordance with the legislation on the protection of the species concerned. There are import suspensions in place at the EU level for countries where hunting of the species concerned is not considered to be sustainable. The need for any further suspensions is kept under active review. The Government recently hosted a stakeholder roundtable to hear views from all sides of the debate. We are reviewing existing evidence surrounding trophy hunting and its impact on species and rural communities.

Canoeing: River Derwent

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the feasibility of negotiating an equitable and practical access arrangement for canoeing with all riparian owners and stakeholders along the 106km of the River Derwent in Derbyshire.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There has been no assessment by the department into the feasibility of access agreements on the River Derwent.

Canoeing: National Parks

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of uncontested access on water within National Parks for canoeing; and how many successful access arrangements there are within National Parks that facilitate access on water for recreation.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There has been no departmental assessment of the adequacy of uncontested access on water within National Parks. The department does not hold information on access agreements within National Parks.

Plastics: Packaging

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of supermarket chains on the reduction of single-use plastics for product packaging.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is currently working with retailers and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to encourage their efforts to reduce waste and to explore the introduction of plastic-free supermarket initiatives in which fresh food is sold loose, giving consumers the choice. The Government recently consulted on reforms to the packaging producer responsibility system to ensure that packaging producers meet the full cost of managing and recycling packaging waste. This provides a strong incentive to producers to reduce the amount of packaging they use and to make packaging that is more easily collected and recycled. Industry is already taking action. In April last year, WRAP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched their world-leading UK Plastics Pact, with support from the Government, and all the major supermarkets have signed up to it. The Pact brings these organisations together with four key targets for 2025 that aim to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated, which include action to eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic packaging items. Our proposed reforms will support supermarkets in achieving those targets.

Plastics: Packaging

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to restrict the use of (a) polystyrene and (b) PVC in plastic packaging.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: In our Resources and Waste Strategy we committed to reform our current packaging producer responsibility system. We recently consulted on measures to ensure that producers pay the full costs of disposal for packaging they place on the market, as well as mechanisms to incentivise producers to make better, more sustainable decisions at the design stage and point of manufacture. This includes making producers pay more if their products aren’t easily recyclable. We will consider legislative proposals as necessary in achieving our objective.

Plastics: Recycling

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with businesses on the use of detectable black pigment in plastics to facilitate the recycling of plastic.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra Ministers and officials have met industry representatives to highlight the importance of increasing the recyclability of materials, including black plastics. As part of our proposals to reform the UK packaging producer responsibility system, we have outlined options that provide a financial incentive for producers to move towards using more easily recycled packaging materials and formats. We expect these initiatives by industry, combined with our reforms, to work together to eliminate from use the problematic and difficult to recycle plastic packaging. Industry has committed to taking action on implementing solutions to prevent black plastic waste going to landfill and encourage recycling. In April 2018, WRAP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation published its Plastics Pact with support from Defra and 80 businesses, NGOs, government organisations and service providers. The Pact brings these organisations together with the aim of making 100% of plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. A number of UK Plastic Pact members, including Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl have committed to reducing or eliminating black plastic packaging, while other companies are using detectable pigment that enables black plastic to be recycled.

Lions: Africa

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of wild lions there will be in Africa by 2025 if the current rate of hunting continues.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has not made an assessment of future numbers of African lions in 2025 if current hunting levels continue.

Lions: Hunting

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence there is that wild lion trophy hunting has contributed to the conservation of the species.

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence there is that sustainable hunting has led to an increase of wildlife in African trophy hunting concession areas.

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether there is evidence that rural communities in (a) Tanzania, (b) Zambia and (c) Zimbabwe have benefited from lion trophy hunting in those countries.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has previously commissioned a report by Professor Macdonald on Lion Conservation with Particular Respect to the Issue of Trophy Hunting. This report found that the primary benefit associated with trophy hunting is the protection of wildlife habitat by reducing the major threat of habitat loss. Lion trophy hunting enables land to be maintained under wildlife-based land use and often prevents the conversion of the area to other forms of land use such as agriculture. This habitat protection is also important for many other species, including endangered species. The report notes that a total area of around 1.4 million km2 was conserved for trophy-hunting in sub-Saharan Africa, which exceeded the area of national parks in those countries by 22%. The report also cited studies on the number of jobs supported by trophy hunting. Environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) take different views on trophy hunting. My Hon. friend may be interested in the evidence cited by theIUCN (https://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/iucn_informingdecisionsontrophyhuntingv1_1.pdf)WWF (https://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/wwf_policy_and_considerations_re_trophy_hunting__july_2016_.pdf),and Save the Rhino (https://www.savetherhino.org/assets/0001/7279/What_is_trophy_hunting.pdf).

Home Office

Immigrants: Detainees

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women detained for immigration purposes disclosed experience of domestic abuse in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office is unable to report on how many women detained for immigration purposes disclosed experience of domestic abuse, as such detail is recorded on individual Home Office files and to obtain this information would require a manual trawl and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Deportation: Females

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women removed from the UK were identified by immigration enforcement as a result of reporting a crime to the police in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women detained for immigration purposes were identified by  immigration enforcement as a result of reporting a crime to the police in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women removed from the UK were identified by immigration enforcement as a result of reporting a crime to the police in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Caroline Nokes: Whilst the Home Office holds data on the number of individuals referred to Immigration Enforcement by the Police, it does not set out detail of the referral in a reportable manner or how such individuals came to the attention of the Police in the first instance. We are therefore unable to say how many individuals have been referred to Immigration Enforcement as a result of reporting a crime to the Police.

Deportation: India

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women removed to India disclosed experience of domestic abuse in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women removed to Pakistan disclosed experience of domestic abuse in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women removed to Bangladesh disclosed experience of domestic abuse in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women removed to Brazil disclosed experience of domestic abuse in (a) 2016 (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women removed to Colombia disclosed experience of domestic abuse in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested is not held centrally by the Home Office.The number of enforced returns from the UK by year and country of nationality is published in table rt_02 (returns data tables, volume 1) in ‘Immigration Statistics, year ending December 2018’, available from the GOV.uk website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-december-2018/how-many-people-are-detained-or-returned

Migration Advisory Committee: Public Appointments

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2019 to Question 250476, whether the Home Office requests (a) a curriculum vitae, (b) information on previous experience and (c) information on previous employment as part of the recruitment process for appointments to the Migration Advisory Committee.

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2019 to Question 250476, whether the two candidates who declared that their principal employment was in the private sector but were not appointed were considered appointable by (a) advisory appointments panel and (b) the Minister.

Caroline Nokes: Any appointment to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is made in line with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/578498/governance_code_on_public_appointments_16_12_2016.pdfThe most recent MAC appointments were made in 2017. The criteria for those appointments and the information to be submitted by candidates were set out in the advertisement on the HM Government Public Appointments website: https://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/appointment/migration-advisory-committee-member-2/.Under the Code, Ministers decide which applicants should be interviewed by an independent Advisory Assessment Panel. The Panel reports its assessment to Ministers, including its views on which candidates are appointable. Ministers consider the advice of the panel, but are not bound by its views. Ministers determine merit and make the final appointment decision.In the 2017 MAC recruitment round, the two candidates not appointed who declared their principal employment was in the private sector, were not considered as appointable by the panel. Ministers considered the report of the panel before deciding which candidates to appoint.

Passports: Applications

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how HM Passport Office staff decide whether to apply additional checks on passport applications.

Caroline Nokes: On 25 April 2013 the Secretary of State for the Home Department outlined the terms under which passports would be issued, withdrawn and refused by written ministerial statement. Each case is assessed against this and will be dependent upon a number of factors including the information in the application, previous applications, supporting documents or other information obtained as part of the assessment of the application.

Passports: Ethnic Groups

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2019 to Question 225536, what the average length of time is for HM Passport Office to process passport applications from people from a BME background.

Caroline Nokes: Her Majesty’s Passport Office does not require data on ethnicity to be provided as part of the passport application process, and therefore no statistical information is held.

Immigration: Afghanistan

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress he has made on amending his Department's country guidance on Afghanistan since 9 January 2019.

Caroline Nokes: Country policy and information notes are published on the gov.uk website. They are kept under constant review and updated periodically. The updated information note on Afghanistan was published on 22 May 2019.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Borders: Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent assessment he has made of the viability of technological solutions for arrangements to replace the backstop when the UK leaves the EU.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government is committed to having a future relationship in place with the EU by the end of December 2020. However, even if the full future relationship is not in place by the end of the implementation period, the Government’s objective is to ensure that the backstop is replaced by alternative arrangements. Both the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration emphasised the shared determination of the UK and the EU to replace the backstop with an agreement on alternative arrangements.In anticipation, the Government intends to establish three domestic advisory groups: an expert group on trade and customs, a business and trade union group, and a parliamentary group. These groups will engage widely, including with the institutions established under the Belfast Agreement, to ensure the UK’s input is informed by a broad and inclusive range of voices domestically. Amongst other facilitations, the groups will consider work drawing on cutting-edge technological solutions designed to streamline and modernise border controls and support engagement with customs and regulatory processes.

Department for International Trade

Free Trade: Dominican Republic

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps he has taken to promote bilateral free trade with Dominic Republic after the UK leaves the EU.

Graham Stuart: On 4 April, the UK signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with CARIFORUM States, including the Dominican Republic. This will provide continuity for businesses, exporters and consumers as the UK prepares to leave the EU. The UK is currently designing a package of funding to help businesses in the Caribbean to take full advantage of the market access granted by the EPA.

Free Trade: Ethiopia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps he has taken to promote bilateral free trade with Ethiopian after the UK leaves the EU.

Graham Stuart: As the Prime Minister set out during her visit to Africa last Summerthe Government is committed to advancing our trade relationship with Africa. My Hon. Friend for Stafford, appointed as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ethiopia in 2016, has taken steps to develop a strong bilateral trading relationship. DIT has set up the Africa Trade Services Unit to act as the single point of contact for UK companies exporting to Africa. The Unit responds to all Africa trade enquiries, including those related to Ethiopia to improve companies’ trading capabilities and promote trade. The Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Act 2018 enables the UK to put in place a trade preferences scheme for developing countries that maintains duty-free, quota-free access to Least Developed Countries, including Ethiopia.

Free Trade: Guyana

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps he has taken to promote bilateral free trade with Guyana after the UK leaves the EU.

Graham Stuart: On 22 March, the UK signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with CARIFORUM States, including Guyana. This will provide continuity for businesses, exporters and consumers as the UK prepares to leave the EU. The UK is currently designing a package of funding to help businesses in the Caribbean to take full advantage of the market access granted by the EPA.